He Never Knew He Never Knew
by Alwayshappytohelp
Summary: Leon has a secret even he never knew about, until a ghost of his past returns during the Harvardville incident. This runs parallel with the movie, a kind of side story not seen on the screen. Rated T for early suggestive situations.
1. Haunted

Disclaimer: Pretty typical, if you know the Character/Event/Location prior to reading this, I do not own it. Thank you for Reading

Chapter One: Haunted

She haunted him every night, her soft and smooth copper skin; as it caressed his body. Her hair of silk colored such a black that in the light it seemed to shine indigo as it laid pooled behind her head on the pillow. The way her voice was melodies as she breathlessly spoke his name repeatedly. But the thing that haunted him the most, the thing that made had her burned into his very soul, those eyes. The cerulean orbs that almost glowed with the light of her soul. Above all, it was her eyes that he could remember; even the act there were in the middle of took a backseat to that piercing gaze. He was held in her trace as they moved together. Suddenly, his name became one long low drawn out incoherent cry as her eyes closed and her head tilted back in pleasure. He could feel his own end coming swiftly...

Beep-beep...Beep-beep...Beep-beep...

Leon groaned in his sleep, the sound slowly sinking in. With a gasp, he shot upright, covered in a layer of sweat and the evidence of the intensity of the dream clear beneath the sheets. He shook his head and scanned the table next to his bed for the source of the interrupting device. Locating it by it glowing screen, he snatched up the offending object and answered it.

"Leon," Came Hunnigan's voice as he blinked a few times to get his vision straight to see her face, he then glanced to his clock and growled.

"Christ Hunnigan; it is four in the morning, on my day off no less. What in the world are you calling me for" He stared at the woman, dark hair, olive skin, with green eyes... not her.

"Well Leon, with your job there is no such thing a 'day off'," She said in a very 'matter-of-factly' tone before returning to her normal pitch, "And there are reports of a possible attack here in the states concerning General Grande. You need to get up and dressed. There will be transport waiting for you in front of your building. You know how they get when you make them wait long. Hunnigan out"

For a moment more he stared at the now black screen, waiting for the physical remnants of his dream to disappear. Once it was gone he stood with a groan from the protests of his body. Slowly he made his way over to his closet and pulled out one of his tactical shirts and a pair of the same pants. Throwing them to the bed he glanced at the bathroom door, with a grin on his face he moved toward it. They can wait a little longer.

With his body clean of the sweat from the dream he went to get dressed, while trying to rub the last of the water from his sandy-blonde hair. That dream, it's always that dream. For years that dream has come to him, starting a few months after the Raccoon City incident. It was always so vivid, he could still feel the tingle from her finger tips when they brushed his arms, but he never seemed to get a good look at her face. Pulling his shirt over his head and fastening his holsters to his torso, he bent down to the drawer of his night stand. He pulled it open and took out his 9mm and slid it into its place. He moved to close the drawer when a slip of white caught his eye.

He reached down and picked up the paper. It was an old piece of motel stationary, beginning to turn a faint yellow in age. He had read and re-read it so many times the crease in the middle had several small tears in it. He had found it the morning after he first tried to get into Raccoon, when the army had stopped him. He had gotten a room at a little run down motel that was part of a little 'all you need stop', and then went to the bar to kill some time. The next day he woke up in his room with a pounding headache and the note on the table. A slight smile came to his face when he opened it, reciting the words in his mind before his eyes laid on them.

Leon,

I am sorry I couldn't wait until you woke up. Maybe we will see each other again...

Be Safe,

A

His fingers brushed over the words as he thought about the meaning. Who was 'A'? Was she the one that was in his dreams? His head shot up; he had never thought about it that way. He regained his smile as he heard the blaring of a car horn outside. His ride was getting antsy. Taking another look at the note he decided to slip it into a pocket instead of back in the drawer, and went about finishing gearing up. Once he was fully ready he grabbed his keys and coat and nearly slammed the door as he hurried down the hallway and stairs to stop the horn before his neighbors called the cops.

Swiftly he went from the building to the backseat of the waiting Jeep. The two men in the front seat gave growls, scolding him for making them wait. It took a bit for him to hold back the laugh that bubbled up in him at them, but being nearly embedded into the seat from their rush worked wonders to quell the urge.

"So, where are we going?" Leon asked once the vehicle found a steady speed.

"WE are taking YOU to the base to catch a flight east. That is all we know," the man in the passenger seat snapped.

"No need to get snippy." The blonde in the back mumbled, which went ignored by the other two. The rest of the drive was silent other than a few curses at the occasional red-light. Guess they have better things to do. Leon turned his gaze out the window and let his mind drift; it instantly went to those cerulean eyes. He knitted his brows together as he tried to paste together a face for her using what bits and pieces he could remember. He had something to call her; now he wanted a face to go with those orbs of blue fire. His thoughts were not interrupted by the entry of the base, or the switch from land to air travel. He sat in the helicopter, silent as he tossed around the images in his head. He had no idea how long they had been in the air before he finally spoke up to the pilots.

"Do you know exactly where we are going?" He inquired

The Co-Pilot turned his head toward Leon as he replied, "Last order was Harvardville."


	2. A Ghost from the Past

Disclaimer: Pretty typical, if you know the Character/Event/Location prior to reading this, I do not own it. Thank you for Reading

Chapter Two: A Ghost from the Past

"Now arriving, in gate 32A, flight 349 from Newark, New Jersey," a woman's voice came over the loud speaker at the airport.

Abner groaned, she had been standing at the baggage claim conveyor for half an hour and still had not seen her bag. This is just what she needed now, a lost bag. Why did she think going through Harvardville and driving to Michigan would be easier than going through Chicago? Well that was easy to answer, because I am an idiot and don't fly well. Just as she was getting ready to give up and head over to Lost Luggage, her baby blue bag fell with a thump on to the belt. She almost skipped over to it in her joy. Now she just had to go rent a car and she would be set to go.

With a smile on her face she dropped the bag to the floor and extended the handle. Now she had to just find the rent-a-car desk, through the crowd of protesters. It felt like she had been wandering around forever when she finally laid eyes on the beautiful yellow sign that signaled her destination. The crowd was thick in front of the desk but no one really seemed to be in line for it so she was able to squeeze through pretty quickly, though her ears began to ring from their angry shouts. She could sympathize with them a little, if WilPharma had wanted to build their lab in her area she may have been just as angry, but really singling out one senator because he backed the idea was a bit absurd she thought. However, she chose to keep her views to herself and waited for the lone clerk at the desk to help her.

She was handing the red haired woman her driver's license when she heard the shrill scream of a child and turned to see the entire force of the crowd surge towards her in an attempt to get to the door. She pressed herself against the half wall that separated her and the teller trying to stay clear of the stampede. She was about to be plowed over when the rental teller reach out and grabbed her, pulling her over the counter to safety. She expressed her gratitude to the woman and nodded when asked if she was alright, then turned her attention back to the sea of rushing people. What got in to them? The next sounds to meet her ears were two rapid gunshots. The teller pulled her down behind the counter and stayed huddled with her in hopes of being protected from whatever was going on.

She could hear the screams of people as they ran about trying to get to some kind of safety. Over the loudspeaker came a man's voice calling for everyone to evacuate the terminal, you could hear the panic in his tone as he stated and reminded that what he said was not a drill. Abner looked at the teller whose wide eyes and quick breath told her the woman was too panicked to answer any question she might ask. Reaching up to her face she brushed some of her black hair out of her blue eyes as she scanned the area hoping to spot an opening to run. To her left she spied the glow of light through glass doors that a horde of people were pushing to get passed. She reached down and took hold of the teller's wrist and gave a gentle tug, as soon as they were both fully on their feet they were in a dead run, but they were a little too late. From behind them came the sound of shattering glass and bending metal. Abner and the teller were thrown to the lost their footing in the shaking building and plummeted to the floor.

All around them they could hear people screaming and objects falling. Quickly Abner moved to get back on her feet when the pillar next to her began to lose its plaster as it shifted and cracked with the impact of the plane. A large piece of sheet rock fell, hitting Abner in the head and back, she went back down. Dazed and beginning to lose conciseness she could hear the teller call for someone to help them and a man respond. She then felt herself being picked up and carried; her world went black before they got through the doors.

When she came to is was in what looked like a hastily constructed medical tent. Sitting up slowly, she held her head in a vain attempt to make the world stop spinning. When her hand reached her forehead she felt the cloth that wrapped around her cranium. Oh, right, something fell on me. She looked around to find that she was completely alone in the tent save for a few people who seemed to be unconscious. With a sigh she slid off of the cot and made her way to the flaps that served as the door. Poking her head out she glanced around and nearly fell over at the sight. Tents were set up all over the place, a chain link fence separated the area of the tents and a crowd of people who had looks on their faces ranging from worry and fear to almost a macabre interest. There were people walking around in full bio-hazard suits and mask as well as what looked to be militia and police. She stepped fully out of the tent to get a better look around. This whole camp seemed to be set up in the parking lot of the airport, and from the sounds of the yelling coming from the other tents hers was not the only one with survivors from the terminal.

Looking around she saw two people who were dressed in full body scrubs with hair nets and mask carry what looked to be a body bag out of one of the tents. She felt her heart sink for the family of that person, but she continued to look for someone so she could find out what was going on. Ducking between the tents she saw more people scurrying around the area but they all looked way too busy to bother, then her eyes fell on a lone figure dress in dark clothes walking along the rows of tents. She jogged up to him and called out to get his attention. When he turned she felt her blood ran cold. He looked so familiar, his hair in that side swiped coif, chiseled jaw, and grey eyes open wide as if she had scared him. She looked to the ground and mumbled an apology. It couldn't be him; he was gone, lost almost ten years ago in that city.

"Did you need something?" Damn, even his voice was a close match. She pushed the thought to the back of her mind for the time.

"Yea, I am sorry, but could you tell me what happened in there?" She pointed to the almost completely destroyed terminal building. His brows went up in alarm and she pointed to the bandages on her head, "Something fell on me before I was able to get out. I just want to have an idea what made everyone freak out. Was there an assassination attempt on that senator guy?"

The man shook his head, "No, it seems that there has been a terrorist attack. You didn't see any of them did you?" Abner cocked her head to the side to show her confusion at his question and he waved his hand in front of himself, telling her to forget he asked. "Is there anything else you need, I have something important I need to be doing"

Abner let out a squeak of surprise, "Oh, I am so sorry to keep you. No, you go do what you gotta do. I'll go find someone else." She then turned and went to see if she could find the teller or maybe the people who helped her get out when his voice called her attention back. Spinning back around she looked at him with a raised brow. He was holding out a cell phone, she eyed him for a minute before stepping closer to him.

He handed her the phone, "Here, I am sure you have family that is worried about you. You won't be able to leave for a few more hours and what I need to do won't take me but maybe an hour. You can give it back to me when I get back, ok?" She stared at him for a moment, a smile on her face, before nodding and whispering her thanks. He then turned and walked away. What a nice guy.

Abner stood there, watching the man's back as he disappeared into a tent on the other side of a gate that appeared to be for military only. Once he was gone she looked down at the device he had handed her and growled; it was only then did it dawn on her that she had dropped her bags inside the building. She glanced over at it as gunfire rang out near the doors. There is probably no getting them back now. She shook her head and walked back to the tent she had woken up in to find the rent-a-car teller and what looked like a doctor standing at the entrance. The teller was pointing to the tent and yelling something at the doctor when he looked up and spotted Abner. He tapped the ranting woman on the shoulder and pointed to the injured one. The teller spun around, seeing the missing patient she rushed over.

"Hey, you got hit pretty hard, what are you doing up. Come on, come lay back down." The red-head placed one of her hands on Abner shoulder and the other on her back and led her in to the tent. Once Abner sat down on the bed, the teller pulled a nearby chair up next to the bed. "By the way, my name is Hannah," the teller said holding her hand out to Abner, who shook it and returned the gesture. Hannah smiled at the name, "Abner? I always thought that was a guy's name."

Abner looked down and nodded, "It normally is, but my parents liked it so they decided no matter what it was going to be my name. Anyways, would you mind telling me what happened after I was hit?"

The red-head's green eyes went to the ground for a minute, when her voice finally came it was hardly more than a whisper, "There was a group of guys near us, I begged them for help and only two came. One picked you up and the other helped me run for the door... he didn't make it though, one of those things grabbed him." She fought back a whimper of remorse for the man.

Abner's eyes too went to the floor; "I am sorry." was all she could come up with to say.

Hannah shot her head back up with a forced smile on her face, "Don't say that, it wasn't your fault. But anyways, you get some rest ok. They say it will be several hours before we can leave." The red-head gave a curt nod and stood to leave. "Take it easy, Abner."

"Be Safe, Hannah" She whispered as the woman slipped through the flaps of the tent. With a sigh she pulled out the cell phone the man had given her. It took her a few minutes to figure out how to dial the blasted thing but when she finally did she dialed the only number that came to her mind. It barely rang twice before the sound of her mother's frantic voice met her ear.

"Oh, please be Abi," She wheezed, making Abner smile, know how happy her mother was going to be.

"Yea mom, it's me. I am ok. I take it you have seen what is going on here?"

"Yes, we have been so worried about you. Did you lose your phone? We have been trying to call it."

From behind her mother Abner could hear a child's voice, "Grandma, is it Mommy?"

"Let me talk to her, please mom." Abner hear the phone being passed and her mother move away calling to her husband letting him know that she had called.

"Mommy, are you ok?" The little girl showed her fear clearly in her tone.

"Yes Mati, I am alright. I got a little banged up but as soon as they clear me to leave I will be on my way home. Will you be good for Grandma and Grandpa until I get there?"

"Absolutely Mommy, Grandma wants to talk to you again. I love you." Abner repeated the phrase before the phone shifted hands again.

"Abner, you take it easy and please stay safe. Mati will be fine with us until you get here."

Abner assured her mother that she was alright and would not push herself too much. They exchanged their 'I love you's and hung up the phone. She had a new smile on her face now as she stared at the device, hearing Mati's voice always made her happy. It must be a mother thing. With a heavy sigh she resituated on the bed so that she could lie down. Gripping the phone in her hand she began to relax, it was now that she began feeling the pain in her back and head as her eyes grew heavy. She blinked, fighting the urge to sleep the best she could. She hadn't been examined by a doctor since she woke up and didn't know if she had a serious head injury or not. She had always been taught not to allow anyone who had been hit in the head to go to sleep, they might not wake up. As she lay there, wanting to rest but refusing to sleep, she began to lose her battle with her eyelids. Finally she gave up and slipped into the world of dreams.

"What was I thinking?" He asked himself. He had no idea who she was, and he just handed her his phone? Was he losing his mind? He shook his head, but she looked SO much like her. Copper skin with high cheek bones; showing her obvious Native American descent; with that coal black hair that gave that telltale indigo hue. But her eyes, her eyes were cerulean blue. It HAD to be her. He realized then why he had given her his phone. Now he had a reason to speak to her again maybe he would ask her about the note. Maybe he could clear up the dream, figure out if it was just a fantasy or if there is more to it. But right at the moment he had business to take care of. There were people in the terminal and it was his first priority to get them out. He looked up to the two people standing in the tent he had entered who were standing on the opposite sides of a table and discussing the incident, then he heard them mentioning him. He spoke up, catching their attentions. First thing was first.


	3. Dreams to Memories

Disclaimer: Pretty typical, if you know the Character/Event/Location prior to reading this, I do not own it. Thank you for Reading

Chapter Three: Dreams to Memories

Abner jolted back into the waking world by the sound of gunfire. Her head throbbed from moving too quickly when she sat up. The shots were coming from the area by the terminal so she got up and moved to see what was going on. She silently prayed that the camp was still safe. As she exited the tent she saw a little girl being held back from the fence that surrounded the camp by a person in scrubs as she tried to reach an older woman on the other side. The sound of a hand meeting flesh followed by tin on pavement drew her eye away from the fence and to where a solider was helping the senator from the news back to his feet as a woman moved from the two to the girl by the fence. Abner shrugged at the scene and went about finding out what was going on, she made her way around some of the tent until she had a clear view of the front terminal.

First she noticed soldiers, a lot of them, firing into the terminal then her eyes fell on to a group of four others standing near her. Two woman and two men, one of the women faced toward the terminal and was dressed in a 'SRT' uniform with her fists balled up. The other woman and one of the men were dressed in suit like outfits, they must have been more survivors, but the other man; sandy blonde hair and leather jacket, the guy that let her borrow his phone. The phone! She patted her pockets and shirt looking for the device to no avail. It must still be in the tent, he would want it back. Spinning around she scurried back to the tent and began searching the bed for the electronic. Just as she tore the blanket back and spotted the little black device she heard the tent flaps rustle. She grabbed the phone as she turned to face the kind stranger. She gave him a smile and offered him back his phone before he could speak. He gave a chuckle and took it, sliding it into his front pants pocket. Silence fell over the two as they stood and stared at each other, both unsure of what say.

She broke first, "Thanks for letting me use it."

He waved his and in front of himself, "Not a problem. I am sure your family was happy to hear from you." He paused, waiting for her nod, "Well that is good. Look, I am going to pull a few strings for you. By noon tomorrow they will be letting small groups go in and retrieve their things from the building. You will be in the first group. It shouldn't be too long after that and you will be released to leave. I just have one thing to ask in return, if you would be kind enough to grant it?"

Abner's mouth went dry; she could only nod to him while her mind spun with questions on why he was being so kind to her.

His amusement at her speechlessness shone brightly in his eyes as well as with the grin on his lips, "I would like to speak with you when all of this is over. Could we meet with each other at another time?"

Finally Abner found her voice, "Uh yeah, sure. I don't live around here though."

He pulled out his phone and pressed a few keys before handing it to her. When her eyes fell on the screen she almost laughed. It was a smart phone and he obviously wanted her to fill out contact information for herself. She gave him her name and her home number before pausing at the address line, she glanced up at him. His face was mostly unreadable but his eyes showed her his thoughts, he was curious yet anxious, almost unsure if she was going to tell him the truth. She turned her eyes back to the phone and filled in the rest of the fields, mobile too just in case she got it back. He had every way he could need to contact her she handed the phone back to him. His eyes instantly went to the screen and a smile came to his face; he made sure the information was saved before sliding the device back into his pocket.

"Thank you, Miss Dan-." He was cut off as he began her last name.

"Abi, just Abi please"

Another chuckle came from his broad chest as he nodded, "Abi, I look forward to speaking with you again." He turned to leave but stop short when he placed his hand in his pocket and felt the worn paper of the note from 'A'. He only turned his head so that he could see the woman behind him out of the corner of his eye when he spoke, "One more question. Have you ever been to a little bar outside of the Raccoon City limits, called 'Eddie's One Stop'?"

Her blood ran cold and her entire body locked up. Her lungs wouldn't even work, yet her eyes stayed transfixed to the side of his face that she could see. He was still, waiting for her answer as she tried to collect herself up enough to give one. It took her a few seconds do so but she gave her response in a shaky near whimper, "Yea, yea I have; a long time ago."

He gave a curt nod and disappeared from the tent. Moments later Abner rushed out the flaps herself, without another thought she yelled to him. It was one simple word, Leon, but it was enough to make him halt mid-step and turn to her. She was certain that the surprise on his face was mirrored on hers. Before he could react she turned back into the tent with her hands covering her face as her head hung slightly. He moved to go to her but stopped when he saw a red haired woman and a doctor go into the tent. He shook his head, he had her information; he could talk to her about it all later. Hunnigan was probably about ready to chew him a new one if he didn't check in soon. He went to find a place to make the call.

Abner sat on the edge of the bed with her head in her hands. It couldn't be him. He was DEAD! She jerked her head up when she felt a hand on her shoulder, only to see emerald eyes full of worry looking at her. She forced a smile at the woman before shifting her gaze to the man who stood behind her. Hannah moved away from the dark haired woman and let the doctor give her the examine that had been postponed due to more severe cases. The last bit was re-moving the bandages that were falling off on their own at this point and checking the gash hidden in the long black locks. Once he was done he smiled at her and let her know that she was ok as he pulled out a syringe and explained that it was just a precaution before sinking it into her arm.

Now that he was completely finished with her he went to check the other people in the tent that seemed to be waking up finally. Hannah sat down on the cot next to Abner and stared at her for a moment. Just as she opened her mouth to say something to the darker woman a loud explosion near by rocked the cot so hard that both women ended up on the ground. Shouts outside grew loud as people rushed to the source of the disturbance. The women looked at one another and jumped to their feet, each racing the other out of the tent. Chaos was about the only way to describe the scene; people were running here and there while others were trying to put out the inferno that engulfed a series of trucks. No sooner had the two arrived they were ordered to leave the area for their own safety. They gave each other worried looks and turned around, as they neared Abner's tent Hannah said something about going to lay down for a little bit and Abner agreed to the same, they bid each other good night and parted ways. Abner entered the tent and lay down on her cot. She had no idea how long she laid there thinking about everything that had happened that day. The one thing that bothered her most was him. For eight years she believed he was dead but now here he was, very much alive. Do I have to tell him? What will he think of me then? He will be so angry. She could feel the pre-dawn air as she finally began to drift to sleep.

When she woke this time it was a gentle rousing, Hannah with a plate of fairly decent looking food, "Hey, you need to eat. They are letting some people go in and grab stuff and they said you are on their first list."

Abner's brows shot up in surprise, she had slept that long? She sat up and took the plate from her friend, mumbling a 'thanks' as she took a couple large bites of what she assumed were eggs before handing the plate back to Hannah and telling her to finish it. Just as she got to her feet a soldier entered the tent. He looked between the two women before setting his gaze on Abner and pointing at her.

"Abner Danvers?" Was all that came out of his mouth. She gave a quick nod and he motioned for her to follow him. She stopped to thank Hannah for all she did, and then she hurried after the man before he could lose her in the crowd. There were a lot more survivors then she had first thought and all of them wanted to get their things and leave. Soon they came to a gate that was holding everyone back; the soldier walked right through and motioned for Abner to do the same. She was shown to the rest of their small group of people, five others survivors and about a dozen soldiers. They were given a quick rundown on how everything was supposed to go and how important it was that they follow the plan. The entire trip took about half an hour and Abner was able to retrieve; her purse, and all its contents, as well as her suitcase. After she and the group returned to the parking lot she was released and found a shuttle into town. It wasn't long and she had rented a car and headed west. She was hopeful that she would be home to see her little girl in the morning.


	4. September 28, 1998

Disclaimer: Pretty typical, if you know the Character/Event/Location prior to reading this, I do not own it. Thank you for Reading

Chapter Four: September 28, 1998

September 28, 1998 was the day that changed her life forever. It had only been ten days since she had turned eight-teen and started her cross-country road trip to see as many of her high school friends before she ended up in California to attend her chosen school. She had been on the road to enter Raccoon City when she had come to an army barricade. They made her and everyone else turn around; telling her that the city was closed to everyone. She had no idea how an entire city could be closed but she decided not to argue with the men and retraced her way back down the road. Her gas light, growling stomach, and tired body made her stop at the little road side all you need shop. She pulled her Tracker up to the pumps and slowly got out. She couldn't help the groans as she moved her body for the first time in hours. She filled the tank on the car and went in to the closest building. There she was able to pay for her fuel but learned that the motel didn't have any more rooms. The clerk told her it would be alright if she just parked in the lot and slept in her car though.

After she moved her car to the parking lot she headed to the bar to get something to eat. It was just a little hole in the wall place but it was packed with people, she guessed it was because of the city being blocked off. She did manage to find an empty table and took a seat. It was a rather long wait before the frazzled waitress finally made it to her. The older woman apologized about a hundred times for taking so long before she asked what it was that Abner wanted. She told the woman that it didn't bother her to wait and gave her simple order, a glass of water and a bowl of soup if there was any left. The waitress gave a giggle, catching Abner's joke, as she scribbled down the order and hurried off.

The loud voices from the bar and the crying of a young child filled the air as the young woman sat at the table. It was a nice place really, just like home to here. She had come from a large family, with six older brothers and all, it wasn't until a hand met her shoulder did she look up. There was a large man staring down at her, he had a dark beard and bandana on his head with tattoos running up and down his arms. She felt her heart stop at the glare on the man's face and the hate that seemed to radiate from his brown eyes. She knew her own blue ones grow wide when she felt his grip tighten on her joint. He then leaned closer to her face and she caught the flash of lust that flashed in his eyes. Her own scanned the bar, hoping that someone would come to help her. She felt all hope leave her when his gravel voice reached her ears.

"Now you listen 'ere redskin. We ain't real keen on yer likes 'round 'ere, but I think I can look past that if yer were to give us payment fer yer night. So, whatcha say?"

She wanted to pass out; again her eyes scanned the bar. This time she felt her hope rise when she saw a young man looking back at her table. He had his brow cocked and was staring at her. She did the best she could to convey her need for help with just her eyes, he seemed to get it. He stood and wobbled before taking a step toward the table. The way he swayed back and forth spoke volumes on just how long he had been sitting at the bar, but she really wasn't in the position to be picky with her 'hero'.

"Hey th-there man, I-I don't tchink the young lady ap-apri- likes yer advances." If the big guy hadn't been holding her shoulder she would have hit her head on the table. This guy is WRECKED, oh god I am going to be raped and we are both going to be murdered tonight.

The bigger man turned his attention to the drunk and was about to open his mouth when a female voice came from behind him. All three of them and the rest of the bar turned to see the waitress, bowl of soup in one hand and glass of water in the other, as she gave the large man a look that could have dropped him dead. His whole demeanor changed, it was clear that this woman scared the hell out of this man. She narrowed her eyes at him and practically growled at him to get out. Abner for one had never seen such a large man move quite so fast. Her eyes then fell on the drunk that had come to her aid in the first place. She was going to thank him but found herself jumping up to keep him from falling on his back. Guiding him to the table she let him sit down as the waitress moved to the table.

"I am surprised he can even move. He's been here for most of my shift, just sitting at the bar. Was he bothering you too?"

Abner couldn't help the giggle as the man's smoke colored eyes danced around, trying to find something to focus on, "No Ma'am, he came to help me."

She heard the older woman sigh, "I'm sorry about Bruce, he's a bit of a jerk. Just ignore him in here and if you are going to stay the night here, keep your door locked. He doesn't dare break anything over there so you'll be safe in there. What's wrong hon? You look kinda pale?"

Abner gave a shy smile to the woman before she hung her head, "I, I uh, didn't get here in time to get a room. I was planning to sleep in my car."

The sound of metal scraping across the table caught both women's attention, Abner's eyes fell on the key with the motel tag hooked to it now sitting front of her on the table. Her gaze then shifted to the man on the other side of the table. His eyes were slightly narrowed and he seemed more aware of his surroundings. When he spoke this time, he was easier to understand.

"There is a bed and a couch in my room. I'll sleep on the couch and you can have the bed, if ya help me to the room. I think I am a bit too drunk to make it there alone."

Both women smiled and Abner nodded in agreement. She then thanked the waitress and paid for her small meal before she quickly swallowed it down. Once her stomach was full she stood and reached to help her new friend up. As the two made their way over to the motel he offered to stop at her car so that she could grab her back. She at first refused the offer but the tempting sound of the word shower made her make the sharp turn to the small vehicle. Now with her bag on one shoulder and the man leaning lightly on the other she fiddled with the door key for a moment before she heard the heavenly click that signaled she had turned it right, and she pushed it open. Her next task was a bit more challenging, getting the man who had started to fall asleep on her to the bed. She had decided on the way across the parking lot that she would sleep on the couch, he paid for the room anyways; she couldn't be so rude as to take his bed. The springs of the mattress gave great complaint when his weight came to a rest on them. She then moved to set down her bag and remove his shoes. She might as well make him as comfortable as she could before she laid down herself.

As she tugged at the laces on his boots he began to stir a little, she was trying to get both shoes off before he decided to roll over and get comfortable so he didn't end up kicking her. Just as the second one fell to the floor, she felt his hands on her face. She looked up only to be met with his lips on hers. At first she recoiled but when he didn't relent she could feel her body relax. The last clear thought in her head was something along the lines of, might as well get something out of this change of plans anyways she owed him. The rest of the night was a blur of passion.

She woke to the sound of a large truck starting, for a moment she wasn't sure where she was but it came back to her when her eyes fell on his face. Leon is what he told her his name was. She felt it suited him well, the lion-hearted, yeah it suited him well; especially when he had told her that he was going to the nearby town to be a police officer. She sighed, not wanting to but knowing she had to get up. She tried to move as quietly as she could, collecting up her clothes that had been thrown across the room the night before and getting out clean ones. She went to the small bathroom and started the shower. The water felt so good to her she was sure she had spent an hour in there, but finally she dragged herself away so she wouldn't use up all of the hot water on him. She got dressed and went back to the bedside. It was ten in the morning, and he was still out cold. If she wanted to keep on her schedule she had to leave. Reaching down she brushed some of his bangs from his face, when he didn't stir she smiled and grabbed a piece of the paper that was on the table and scratched down a note. For a moment she thought about leaving him her number but decided against it, he might not remember this at all anyways. With her note written and her bag all packed again she moved to the door. She stopped short and turned back to the man's sleeping form.

"Thank you Leon. For all you have done for me." She whispered just before she slipped out the door and headed back down the road.

It was almost two when Leon finally opened his eyes. His entire body hurt, his head felt as if it had a heartbeat of its own and he almost wanted to cry when he rolled over to look at the clock. The movement made the world spin and he shut his eyes while he swore he would never even look at another beer. When he felt like he could handle the world he opened his eyes again. The red glow of the numbers stared back at him as he slowly began to put two and two together to figure out what it said. Finally the numbers made sense to him and leapt from the bed, not even noticing that he was stark naked until he went to undress for his twenty-two second shower. This caused him pause for a moment, he went back in to the other room and took note of his clothes everywhere. Yeah, he was defiantly NEVER drinking again. He then ran through the shower, choosing to put his uniform on to save a few minutes, not that it really mattered anyways, he was so late now he was sure he was going to get fired. This is going to be one hell of a first day.

Moving like lightning he grabbed all of his clothes and shoved them in his bag pausing only for a moment when his eyes fell on the note. He picked it up and stared at it for a few minutes. What did I do last night? Realizing he was wasting time he jammed the note into his pocket and ran to the front desk to checked out. Then he leapt into his Jeep and pushed it as hard as he could to try and get to town before he lost his new job. His mind still trying to figure out what he did the night before and who 'A' was. However, all too soon his thoughts turned to more pressing matters and soon the thoughts of 'A' were pushed so deep into the back of his mind the resorted to becoming the dream that haunted him every night.

Abner's thoughts however, were long stuck on that night. She had never felt right with how she had left, especially when she heard of the destruction of Raccoon City, she cried that night, and even more so a month later when she found out she was carrying her hero's child. One night would now cost her an almost free ride to a great school and years more living with her parents to save money to give her baby a good life one day all on her own. She faced her disappointed parents and faced the challenges of single parenthood with a strong facade. Her thoughts would turn to her hero and the night at the little one stop area and she would cry because he daughter would never have the chance to know her father. On June 21st, 1999, Matilda Leona Danvers came into the world and Abner cried again, tears of amazing joy and heart wrenching sorrow at the same time. She then swore to herself that she would raise her child to know only that her father was a hero in her mother's eyes.


	5. A Hero's Welcome

Disclaimer: Pretty typical, if you know the Character/Event/Location prior to reading this, I do not own it. Thank you for Reading

Chapter Five: A Hero's Welcome

It had been six weeks since the Hravardville incident. Abner had made it home just fine and was going on with her life as if nothing had happened. However, she couldn't stop the involuntary jump and skipped heartbeat every time someone called her or knocked on her door. She had grown to fear the idea of Leon finding out about Mati. This had not gone unnoticed by her friends and family, most figured it was because of what had happened inside the airport, but her brother Simon was not as easy to fool. He had all but confronted her about the changes, and was planning to do so soon; but not today though.

Today was a special day in the Danvers house, Mati was turning seven today. All of her brothers had returned home, not that they had gone far, and they all had planned to have the party at the local children's park. Most of the family was already three blocks over at the party as Edna Danvers was finishing up collecting up the food, her eldest son, Edward, was putting the trays she set out in to the car as she placed it out. She had pulled the last tray out and set the large sheet cake, decorated with police cars and a little female officer figure, on to the counter as a smile spread across her face. Mati was, at the moment, her only granddaughter, but sometimes she seemed to act more like one of the boys. Since the day she was first asked what she wanted to be when she grew up all she talked about how one day she would be a police officer. No one knew why she had such an admiration for the boys in blue but when she was asked why she simple said it was because she wanted to help and protect those who needed it. The aging woman couldn't be more proud of that answer so now every year Mati's cake had some form of Police decorations and she loved each one.

Edna was pulled from her thoughts when she heard Edward speaking to someone outside in the driveway; she went to see who it was. As she neared the picket fence that surrounded the front yard she felt her breath stolen from her. She had never seen the man a day in her life as he stood in her driveway in jeans and tee-shirt, but she felt as if she had, every day. When she passed through the gate everything clicked together in her mind. All of her children and grandchildren had retained the Cherokee coloring that she passed to them save for Mati. She had been born with lighter tones, pale olive skin and nearly blonde hair, this man shared the colors. His eyes, however, were a shining grey and not the glowing blue that ran strong in all of her children and their children, a gift from her own mother. Her thoughts were torn from the musings on how he looked like an adult, male version of her sweet little angel when she heard her son's words.

"No, Abi isn't here. Maybe you should try calling before you just show up at someone's house." It was a curt and almost snide remark from him and on this day it made the salt and pepper haired woman clench her teeth to keep from smacking her own child.

"Edward Michael Danvers Jr.," She barked, causing both men turn their attention to her; the darker man's blue eyes flashing with the child like fear of being in trouble. "I did not raise you kids to be so rude! You apologize to this young man then you had better hustle your rear to get that cake in the car before we miss the whole party."

The man mumbled an apology to the other and made his way back into the house with a quick pace and head hung. The woman glared at his back until he disappeared into the house before she turned to the stranger, "Please excuse my son, he is a bit short today. He lost the game the boys play to decide who is going to help when it's needed. Now you are looking for Abi, right? Ed was honest when he said she isn't here, she is down at the park with everyone else. We are having a birthday party for my granddaughter today. You are welcome to join in." She paused for the man to nod, she then pointed in the direction of the park, "You just follow that road a few blocks and you can't miss it. The park is on the corner and there will be a ton of people there. I am sure Abi will up by the tables setting everything up. Its close enough to walk or you will be hard pressed to find a parking spot. That is unless you want to ride with us." She followed her speech with a smile as the hatch on her car closed, letting her know that Ed had gotten the cake from the house.

The stranger thanked the woman and the three loaded into the SUV. The ride was short and silent, Ed still seething from being scolded by his mother. The white truck pulled into the parking lot and up to the saved spot, slowing to a near stop before being fully in the space to wait while the three men that sat in the way to scurry to the grass. Once it was in the spot and off, the six of them commenced to unloading the full vehicle and carrying the amount of food that could feed an army for a month to the picnic tables where more was set up. Leon scanned the area, full of dark haired children and a few adults running everywhere and playing on the large playground. He couldn't help but smile; it certainly was a child's party. At the tables stood an older man and a young woman, hustling to clear space for the newly arrived platters. The blonde couldn't stop his wandering eyes as they took in her waist length coal colored hair, aqua tank top, denim short shorts; pausing to stare at her toned 'assets' and copper legs. He felt his breath hitch in chest when her piercing gaze fell on him, but his heart sank when he saw her brows raise in surprise and fear flash in her eyes. She said something to her mother then moved to him as he set the tray in his arms down on the table. Her hands went to his arm and she gentle spun him around, moving out of earshot of the rest of the party.

When she finally stopped she released his arm and stepped away, he had to resist the urge to return her to the nearness of the moment before. Her eyes went to the ground when she spoke, "Hey Leon, right now really isn't a good time. I'm kind of busy today."

He again fought his body to keep from touching her and only speak, "I see that, your niece must be having a milestone birthday."

She suppressed the giggle a second too late as she shook her head, "No, we always have large parties. I have a big family."

He nodded while he moved his gaze to scan the park again. Large indeed, there had to be twenty kids here, but one caught his eye. She was a little sandy-haired girl with a tiara on her head running toward them with her hands rubbing her eyes. She was crying and as she neared them she dropped her hands away from her face, her eyes were the only thing that outwardly proved she was a member of the family that covered the grounds; glowing cerulean blue.

"MOMMY!" Her shrill cry came, causing the woman in front of him to spin around and his knees nearly fail him. As he regained his composure, he saw that the woman had swooped down and wrapped the girl up in a tight hug. She was now working to get her to tell her why she was crying. He looked up to see three others moving toward them with fast steps, the elder man and woman that he had come to assume where Abner's parents and a younger man that he guessed would be a brother due to their similar appearances. When they were near enough to them he heard the little girl telling her mother how one of the other children had said something cruel to her. The eldest woman and young man's faces both turned red and the elder man reach out to take the girl from the mother she had a strangle hold on. He told her that they would clear up the whole thing and to let her mother be so she could talk to her friend.

The young girl accepted her grandfather's outstretched arms and kiss from her mother, then the four moved back to the party. Once they were gone Abner hung her head, that wasn't really how she wanted that to go at all. Slowly she turned to see Leon staring at the retreating form of the older man carrying the little girl. She stood silent; waiting for what she felt was coming next; his dash from the park to vanish from their lives as if he had never been there at all; not that he really had.

For a split second he was frozen in his place. Finding his voice he asked the first question that came to his scattered mind, "How old is she?"

"She is seven, today," Was her hushed response.

His brain went into overdrive, doing the math before he spoke again. Settling on the answer he returned his eyes to the woman in front of him, "She is mine isn't she?" The question spilled from his mouth without him really thinking it through.

Her blue eyes found to the grass once more and she nodded. He felt his knees almost give again. All of these years he had been jetting all over the world on a mission to destroy the viruses that plagued it and all the while 'A', his 'A', was here; raising their child on her own. His next thought was to ask her why she didn't tell him, but then he realized that she had no way to have. His gaze fell back on to her downcast face. This time he didn't fight the urge and placed his hand on her shoulder. Her blue orbs came up to meet his grey ones, surprised filled in them as she waited silently for his next move.

"I want to meet her. I want to know her. Would you allow me that much?" Her knees almost gave at his words.

She gave him a dumbfounded nod and stuttered her reply, "H-Her name is Mati. Well, Matilda Leona Danvers."

Leona? Homage to him, it made him smile as the two moved back to the party. The small girl gave her mother a large smile as they approached, the older woman beckoned the girl to them to which she slid from her grandfather's lap and skipped to them. Once she was standing in front of the adults the knelt down to her. Abner placed her hand on her daughter's shoulder and smiled at her.

"Honey, I want you to meet someone." She gestured with her other hand to Leon, "This is Leon, and he is someone really important." The young girl's brows rose in surprise and her smile grew as she leaned closer to her mother, showing little streak of shyness. She gave the man a slight wave for her greeting, which he returned. Her mother laughed at her child's reaction, and rubbed her back while she continued, "Do you know why he is important, sweetie?" Little blonde locks shook with her silent reply, the woman turned her eyes to Leon; relaying to him that he could tell her what he chose to.

The man reached out and touched the seven year-olds shoulder, drawing her eyes to him. He gave her a smile as he spoke, "It's because; I am your dad honey."

The crash of a platter of food on a table pulled the three's eyes up to the cerulean eyes of a very shocked grandmother and the gaze of seven equally surprised men. They had all heard Leon's words. Just as the elder woman was about to speak Leon was knocked to the ground by a little body being flung on to him. Small arms with amazing strength were now squeezing the very life out of him while a face was being ground into his chest, he could feel the moisture of her tears through his thin shirt. He brought his arms up and placed one around her to return her hug and the other to rub the child's hair, giving her what comfort he could at the moment.

"You finally came back!" Her words hit him like a brick; he had to close his eyes to keep from crying himself. She's been waiting for me?

"Yes baby, I am sorry it took me so long." He whispered.

The two stayed on the ground for several more minutes while the other adults smiled down on them. It wasn't long though, and the birthday girl had pulled her newly arrived father over to her birthday cake. She was excitedly telling him about her dream to be a police officer like her mother had told he was which made him force a smile on his face to hide the other emotion that swelled again. She then went on introducing him to her family and telling him about her school and her friends. When she said how the kids at school teased her for not having a dad he clenched his teeth. He made a mental promise to himself not to let it happen anymore. For the rest of the day he was pulled around the party with the little ball of energy.

That evening he walked Abner and carried Mati back to the Danvers home. Abner let him in and together they tucked the worn out child into her bed. Before the little one let go of her father's neck, when he had given her a hug, she made him swear to be there the next day too. With his oath given she rolled over and was quickly fast asleep. Abner offered to walk Leon out to his truck as she shut Mati's door over, he accepted with a nod. The two meandered out to the sidewalk, knowing full well that they were under the watchful eyes of her parents the entire time. As the stood in next to his rental he turned sharply, causing Abner to bump into him. He used one hand to catch her before she fell and the other to press the note, which he had slipped from his from pocket, into her hand. She looked down at it, then up to him in surprise when she opened it and realized what it was.

"I have spent eight years trying to figure out who wrote me that and being haunted by dreams about us."

He saw her smile as she folded the note over again and hand it back to him. Her eyes were downcast again and her voice was small, "I have always regretted leaving the way I did. I should have waited until you woke up," She brought her eyes up to meet his, "I am sorry."

He put his hand on her shoulder, shaking his head, "No, don't be sorry. I am one who should be apologizing. I ended up leaving you to raise the constant reminder of that night." His eyes went to the grass for a moment before coming back up. He moved his hand from her shoulder to her chin, gently pulling her face up so that her eyes met his, "I swear I won't do it again. I will be here for both of you." She impulsively moved forward and wrapped her arms around him, her 'thank you' muffled by his shoulder.

**Author's note: That's it. I tried to keep going but everything I typed felt too fluffy and just plain wrong. So there it is… Imagine the rest or forget what you read. Hope you liked it please tell me what you think…. Now just to finish the other one….. **


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